Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says he wants a clear growth mandate if he is elected as the Democratic Alliance’s next federal leader at the party’s congress in Johannesburg this weekend. In an interview published by The Citizen, Hill-Lewis said the DA must expand beyond its current base if it wants to become the largest party in a governing coalition and compete for national leadership by 2029.

Recent coverage from Mail & Guardian and News24 has described Hill-Lewis as the overwhelming or clear favourite ahead of the DA’s 11 and 12 April 2026 federal congress, after John Steenhuisen announced he would not seek re-election.

Hill-Lewis puts growth at the centre of his DA bid

Hill-Lewis said the party’s path to growth lies mainly among former ANC voters who no longer want to back the governing party. According to the source interview, he argued that this was “simple electoral maths” if the DA wanted to become the largest force in a future coalition.

He also said the DA must close what he described as a trust gap between public perceptions of the party’s governing ability and voters’ choices at the ballot box. To do that, he said, the party needs a stronger presence in communities and sharper focus on issues that matter to the voters it wants to attract.

Why the leadership race matters for the DA

The Geordin Hill-Lewis DA growth mandate pitch comes at a significant moment for the party. Hill-Lewis credited Steenhuisen with stabilising the DA after a difficult period and with helping lead it into national government through the Government of National Unity.

The DA says on its official GNU page that South Africa entered a new phase after the 2024 election produced no outright majority, prompting parties to work together in government. The party describes itself as the second-largest member of that arrangement.

Responses and party positioning

Hill-Lewis told The Citizen that smaller opposition parties would continue trying to win over DA voters, but said his strategy remained focused on broader expansion rather than defensive politics. He also said the party had improved its fundraising position and had strong candidates for major cities.

Official DA and City of Cape Town profiles identify Hill-Lewis as Cape Town’s executive mayor and a former DA shadow minister for finance, adding to his standing as he seeks the top party post.